In This One, You…

In the writing class I’m taking at the Servant Leadership School, most of the class time is spent writing in response to prompts given by the instructor. Today, she asked us to imagine a photograph of a person we know well, and then start with the phrase, “In this one, you…” Here’s what I wrote:

In this one, you are sticking your tongue out at me, though you don’t yet know what that means.

It is just coincidence that I have caught this expression on your face, but you have every right to be exasperated with me, as I have spent the last 20 minutes dressing you up in new clothes and making you pose on the back porch, when really you would rather be blowing bubbles or playing “hit-bat” with your wiffle ball set.

But I will send these pictures to Grandma, who more than once made me pose in uncomfortable clothes on the porch and someday, I hope, your daughter will stick her tongue out at you when she sees you coming with a camera.